Source: Michael Chang / Getty
Charles Barkley’s putting his money where his mouth is to ensure his alma mater enrolls more people of color.
The TNT Inside The NBA analyst announced that his will includes a $5 million donation to Auburn University. Barkley says the Supreme Court declaring race can no longer be a factor in college admissions influenced the idea.
“In my will, I am leaving Auburn $5 million,” he said Friday, according to AL.com. “I’m going to change it to be just for scholarships for Black students. That’s just my way of trying to make sure Auburn stays diverse.”
The Hall of Famer says that after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action, his phone was flooded with people asking him to take action and make sure Auburn makes room for the less fortunate.
“I love Auburn,” he added. “I’ve actually changed it to be used for kids from poor homes. But after that ruling yesterday, my phone was blowing up. I was talking to my friends and said, ‘I need to make sure Black folks always have a place at Auburn. So, I’m gonna change my will and make it exclusive for Black students—all $5 million.’ It’s just for me the right thing to do. I always want to make sure that Auburn’s diverse.”
Auburn’s diversity problem has recently worsened as 2020 enrollment showed only 5.28% of Black students, and the number slightly dipped in 2020 to 4.91%, making it the most segregated university in the state of Alabama.
The $5 million donation in Barkley’s will is nothing new, but the clause to make it exclusively for Black kids is, in light of the affirmative action reversal.
“We’ve always lacked diversity,” Barkley said. “I’m doing my part to make sure we are more diverse.”
In other Barkley news, here’s how Twitter reacted to him inking a new deal with CNN for a show co-hosted with Gayle King.
